European Union supports humanitarian relief to Syrians affected by wildfires

In response to the destructive wildfires that ravaged coastal regions in Syria in October and impacted 200,000 people, the European Union (EU) is providing €80,000 in humanitarian funding to assist those most affected.

These EU humanitarian funds will directly benefit 12,500 people who have been seriously injured, temporarily displaced or have lost their houses, lands, crops or livestock. The support will enable the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) to deliver much needed relief in the form of cash assistance and disaster preparedness.

The cash will help the most vulnerable, especially people who remain displaced in Latakia, Tartous and Homs governorates, meet their basic needs. More than 500 volunteers are involved in the response that will also consist of raising awareness among the affected communities on reducing the risks associated with wildfires.

The funding is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The October wildfires killed 3 people and left around 80 with breathing complications or skin burns. They also caused significant damage to 179 villages and obliterated large swathes of forest and agricultural land. Although the causes of the massive wildfires vary, they now tend to recur annually as a result of climate change, overwhelming local response capacities.

Background

The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.

Through the European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

The European Union is signatory to a €3 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.

The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF.  For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The delegation agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit in with its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €3 million.

For further information, please contact: Anouk.Delafortrie@echofield.eu